New Little Additions to My Cath Kidston Collection

Hey guys,

Just a quick post from me today. I thought you might like to see a couple of little travel accessories I picked up in Cath Kidston last weekend. 

My older sister, brother-in-law and I popped over to Bicester Village, which is a well known outlet village not far from where we live. The sister wanted to look for household accessories and I rarely turn down an invitation to go to Cath Kidston. Who does? The brother-in-law tagged along for waffles and gelato (from another vendor, obviously), which I guess was his reward for being subjected to some girlie outlet shopping. Thankfully, for him, and my back, we weren't there long.

Cath Kidston was rammed with bargains and bargain shoppers alike, and it was pretty difficult to negotiate our way around to browse. A lot of the S/S products had finally made their way in to the outlet shop, including the wild strawberry print, which I love. I had to force myself to be sensible, and just treated myself to a passport cover, and a travel card holder. Oh, and some cardboard folders to organise injury related paperwork.

So, I know I'm unable to go travelling at the moment, but I bought this passport cover as I adore the cute print, and my current passport cover doesn't fit in my CK travel wallet. My passport is my main source of ID, so it'll get used from time to time. It's slimline, sturdy, and also easy to keep clean, and was just £4 on sale, instead of £8! You can find it online here, currently for £5.

I also bought myself this ticket holder. I've needed something like it for years, as I don't like pulling my wallet out every two seconds when I'm travelling, and I always crease tickets or demagnetise them if I keep them in my pocket. I'm not sure what the name of this print is, but it's at least a few seasons old. The background is a camel colour, and it's covered in a floral and bird print. This is one CK print I didn't previously have in my collection

Trying to take a photo of the inside was tricky, but inside it has three clear compartments to make travelling that bit easier. It was £4 on sale instead of the £6 RRP. This one isn't online anymore, but there are different styles available here.

Are you off to do a bit of sale shopping today, or have you nabbed yourselves any good bargains recently?

Three Little Birds

When the lovely Lauren of Pocket Rocket Fashion contacted me recently to ask if I wanted to review something for Three, the network provider for mobile phones , I of course said yes.

You see, living in our technology driven world, I'm very much attached to my mobile phone, like most people, and it's never far from my hand. I'd be lost without my faithful old phone as I use it for everything from social networking to taking photos, listening to music, to staying in touch with family and friends. I wouldn't function well without it! 

So when I was asked to review mobile phone accessories, it seemed like the perfect collaboration for me. I was given a few choices, but I chose a pair of ear phones as they suited my style and blog best, and I also thought you'd enjoy them, too.

  Lauren was such a sweetheart and had them gifted and shipped to me in less than two days, which was fantastic service, and I fell in love with them immediately.

I chose a pair of Accessorize's novelty Birdy earphones which are the most adorable earphones I've ever seen or owned. A colourful, tattoo-style Blue Tit embellishes each ear bud, and the wiring is pale pink and long enough to reach a trouser pocket.

They're designed to fit all standard mobile phones and mp3 players, so they fit both my Blackberry and my iPod; which is great as I love to listen to music from both.

I've not used anything other than Apple iPod earphones and Skullcandy headphones for years, and had never used ear buds before, so I was excited to try them out...

And what better place to try them than in the garden where the real birdies sing?

Aren't they lovely?

The birds are made from rubber, and sit on the back of the plastic and rubber ear buds so they can make a statement of your ears while you're listening to music!

It's hard to see in the sun day light, but I was listening to songs from Arcade Fire's 'Funeral' album, which is one of my all time favourites. Considering the album name, it's ironic that I find this album so uplifting, especially during the summer months!

As you can see, they go perfectly with my red Blackberry curve. They coordinate with the pink and lilac Cath Kidston case much better than iPod earphones do. (I broke the black Blackberry ones a year or so ago).

These ear buds are fantastic! I've used this in both the house and the garden so far, and find that they sit comfortably in the ear. As they sit much deeper in the ear than earphones and headphones, I found myself hearing the music far more clearly. I was discovering new sounds in songs I've been listening to regularly for years!

The other night I was listening to some mellow songs before I went to sleep and three hours later I was still awake as I was enjoying using the ear buds so much, and the quality of the music heard through them.

The ear buds are of brilliant quality, and reasonably priced at just £12 a pair; much cheaper than most on the market. I think they're a really cute design; the perfect pair for wearing with my dress collection. There are many more designs in the range, and I'm tempted to pick up another design or two to use with different outfits.

You came find the Birdy pair on Accessorize's website here, and if you want to find out more about Three mobile, you can find them here http://www.three.co.uk/.

*Please note that these ear buds were gifted to me in exchange for a review, but as always, all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.

A Birthday Wednesday Wish List

With just under a week to go 'til my birthday, I've been thinking and day dreaming about all those items I've been coveting most lately. The pieces which I am desperate to own and would point out to family members should they ask for ideas, or would like to purchase to if I receive money as gifts from relatives, which I sometimes do. I don't ever expect gifts from anybody, so this is more of a dream list than anything else... and a reminder of the things I most hope to acquire before they go.

1. Simply Be Dress // 2. Simply Be Blazer // 3. Accessorize Strawberry Bag // 4. Evans Wedges //  

5. Simply Be Shrug in Violet // 6. New Look Dress // 7. Per Una Cardigan //  8. Dorothy Perkins Dress // 

9. Britney Spears Island Fantasy Perfume //  10. Simply Be Shrug in Cherry // 11. ASOS Dress // 

12. Accessorize Owl Bag // 13. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger // 14. Matalan Dress // 15. ASOS Belt // 

16. DKNY Sweet Delicious Tart Key Lime Perfume // 17. How to Make Jewellery with Tatty Devine // 

18. Models Own Pastel Nail Art Box Set // 19. Safe Haven DVD // 20. Models Own Fruit Pastel Box Set 

 My most wanted list is made up of a good variety of items and definitely highlights my love for colourful, patterned, quirky, kitsch, fun, and lady-like designs. My outfit posts may seem quite repetitive, but I do have quite eclectic tastes, and enjoy wearing a variety of  styles.

I would be over-joyed to own any of these things, but especially the kooky strawberry (3) and owl (12) shaped bags from Accessorize, which I adore, and all or any of the dresses. Besides Lauren's pink ice cream print dress (1), I can't stop thinking about the Aztec asymmetric New Look dress (6) with it's incredible striking dipped skirt; I think it looks so versatile. I've also not been able to get the Simply Be blazer in menthol (2) out of my head since I saw Hanna of The Wardrobe Challenge rocking it in her Fatshion Faceoff post last Wednesday. (Didn't all the FF ladies look amazing together in NYC?!) I love the colour and the pearl buttons, and can see it working so well with my yellow polka dot prom dress. It must be mine!

There may be extra pieces on this list by the time my birthday rolls around, but I do hope I can call a few of these beauties mine before they sell out. I don't object to treating myself to things around my birthday, so I wouldn't be surprised if I 'accidently' make a few cheeky purchases myself...

Under the Green Umbrella Trees

Hey there, lovelies,

I've got a quick casual outfit to share with you this morning, which I wore to the hospital to be lectured and patronized by my physiotherapist yesterday morning. I'd go in to what happened, but I'd only start to rant about what she said.

The dress which I am wearing in this post is one of two frocks I purchased last week with a New Look voucher I won from Becky and Betty's joint blog giveaways. It was a lovely surprise to find out I'd won, and I was obviously excited to spend it as it's been a while since I've been able to afford new clothes for myself. So, thank you so much ladies! I purchased a cobalt blue chiffon dress, and this lovely denim number...

This lovely light-wash denim dress is so effortlessly wearable. It is the perfect dress to be worn casually in the day time for running errands, going to hospital appointments, and perhaps doing a spot of shopping. I think it could also work down the pub in the evening, at festivals and concerts, and perhaps even for nights out if the right accessories are used.

I was drawn to the dress online due to the pretty crochet collar detail which is shaped like sunflowers, but I also knew it would be the perfect casual piece to add to my rather dressy wardrobe. I don't have many casual pieces I can just throw on for a hospital appointment or for nipping to the supermarket. This dress certainly solves that problem perfectly.

The dress is made from a decent denim which isn't too heavy or too thin (although my leggings can be seen through the fabric). It'll be ideal for wearing all year round. I originally thought this was a prom dress style, but it actually has a modest asymmetric hem; although I really love that about it. (I'm still loving asymmetric skirts.) I did however, size up as I thought it had a fitted waist, but it turns out it's elasticated so it's rather loose on me- especially around the boobs... (However, this dress should be able to accommodate you ladies with ample chests). I cinched in the waist tightly at the back with the matching denim belt, which solves most of the over-sizing, and a cardigan disguises most of the looseness around the girls. I presume the denim isn't pre-shrunk, so I imagine it'll probably shrink a little in the wash, anyway, as I wear it. I just couldn't be bothered to return and reorder.

I'm smitten with this dress, and I'm so pleased I purchased it. It was a bargain at just £24.99, and I know it will be getting regular wear from now on. My only bug bear about it, is that it creases so easily, but that's a common issue with light-weight denim...

So, yesterday, I wore it with my basic purple Evans leggings, and a scalloped off white shrug by Lovedrobe. I wore my blue Havaianas flip flops as my toes are still recovering from operations and can't be enclosed, and used my pin stripe River Island satchel. I accessorised with a few pieces of jewellery which I'll show you below.

Here you can get a glimpse of the dress not hidden beneath a cardigan.

I love this beautiful neckline.

This is one of my favourite bags from my collection. I find the combination of colours, patterns, and textures interesting and aesthetically pleasing. It came from River Island about a year and a half ago, and it looks great with the dress.

I can't help but smile when I see daisies, and they're scattered all across our lawns now Summer has arrived.

And these are the accessories which I also wore. I won the double cameo necklace and the pearl bracelet with the flower charm from Rachel's blog giveaway a month or so ago, and I've barely taken them off since. I have a soft side for cameos and pearls, and I don't think I could love these two pieces more! I'm particularly crazy about the double necklace.The other two pearl bracelets are by Matalan, and the daisy earrings are a current line from River Island.

Outfit Details

Dress-New Look Inspire // Leggings-Evans // Shrug-Lovedrobe // Flip Flops-Havaianas // 
Satchel-River Island (ebay here)  // Daisy Earrings- River Island // Plain Pearl Bracelets-Matalan // Floral Charm Pearl Bracelet-Won in Rachel's giveaway // 
Cameo Necklace-Won in Rachel's giveaway //

This dress is definitely a winner, and I recommend it to all you denim loving ladies. It's available in sizes 18-28 on the New Look website, and if you're thinking of purchasing one, you should be fine with your normal size. Trust me, ladies, you need this dress. I'm certain you won't regret the purchase!

Do you like denim dresses? How would you style this dress?

I'm personally planning to restyle it with tan and brown accessories, along with a few thin braids in my hair.

Mantaray Bags and Purses

If you live in Britain, I would bet good money that you shop at Debenhams from time to time. For those who don't know, Debenhams is a well known department store chain, rather like the American Macy's. It's one of our most iconic brands on the high street, and has been for decades. In fact, it was formed in the late 1700s!

If you frequent the department store, or know your way around their website, then you're probably aware of a brand called Mantaray. If you shop in store you will have passed the brand at the very least.

Mantaray is a brand which features casual wear for women, men, and children. The designs are relaxed and what I would describe as 'surfer wear'; casual, but fun; featuring prints, colour, and comfortable fabrics that wouldn't look out of place on the beach. I really like their clothes, which cater for sizes 8-20, but today I'm going to focus on their bags and purses.

Last night, I was window shopping on Debenhams' website, and had the urge to check out Mantaray's bags. I found a gorgeous Daschund shaped bag with floral applique on sale for just £18 (with discount code FL72 it was just £15.30), and had to adopt it! I also thought that many of you would probably go mad for this bag, so I had to share it and some of my other favourites.

Bags

1. Tan Floral Dog Cross Body Bag // 2. Cream Owl Backpack // 3. Dark Yellow Flower Shoulder Bag // 

4. Light Green Floral Bird Cross Body Bag // 5. Dark Tan Cut Out Owl Cross Body Bag // 

6. Tan Owl Charm Satchel Bag //

The adorable Daschund bag is easily my favourite of the current designs, but the floral bird-shaped bag is a serious contender. I wanted to buy it along with the dog, but I restrained myself... at least for now. They're both so cute, and would look perfect with a denim dress, shirt, or jeans. 

To me, fashion is all about having fun and not taking myself too seriously. It doesn't matter that I'm reaching my late twenties; I still love wearing quirky accessories, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Purses

1. Light Blue Daisy Applique Coin Purse // 2. Lime Dog Coin Purse // 3. Taupe Beehive Mini Coin Purse // 4. Natural Squirrel Flapover Purse // 5. Tan Small Daisy Applique Purse // 

6. Light Blue Applique Bear Purse // 7. Tan Applique Fox Large Flapover Purse // 

8. Taupe Appliqued Owl Purse //

Mantaray also have the sweetest appliqued purses dedicated to woodland animals and nature. Foxes, squirrels, owls, bears, and bees are just some of the animals used in designs, and there are daisies galore, and cute red and white toadstools, too. I particularly love the daisy, squirrel, and fox designs (1, 4, and 5, are my favourites), but there are so many that I like. All of them would make spending money more enjoyable, wouldn't you agree?

There are far more on the website that I haven't included, and there's currently a sale on the Debenhams website with 20% off most items. I used the discount code FL72 which gave me an extra 15% off my order, and it appears to be valid until the 7th of July. Delivery is currently free in the UK, and they also deliver to 66 countries, so they're really worth checking out.

Please note: I've not been asked to promote Debenhams or Mantaray; I just genuinely like the range, and wanted to talk about them.

Are you a fan of Mantaray? Which piece is your favourite?

Lemon Anglaise

Good morning lovelies,

I hope you're all having a great week so far.

I've got a quick outfit post for you this morning that I've been meaning to post for about a fortnight. It's been sitting in a folder all this time while I've contemplated whether to share them or banish them to the recycle bin because I'm my own worst critic. In the end, as it's been a while since my last OOTD, I just decided to go with it, so here they are.

I bought this pretty sunshine yellow sun dress from F & F at Tesco a few weeks ago when I was staying with my sister in Portsmouth. It caught my eye as we dawdled past the clothing department because it looked so similar to an old favourite which is now discoloured and past it's best. For just £12, I had to see if it lived up to it's predecessor.

It's a lovely lined cotton sun dress in a bright lemon yellow, with pretty broderie anglaise detailing from the hips downwards, a fitted waist, plaited spaghetti straps, and ruched detail at the bust. When you consider how much detail this dress has, a price tag of £12 is a real bargain! The broderie anglaise hem is what makes this dress a winner in my eyes, as it's one of my favourite qualities in a piece of clothing, but the cheerful colour, and style are wonderful, too. It may not be quite as perfect as my old sun dress, but it's not far behind.

I styled the dress with pieces in complimenting pastel colours. I wish I had a lilac cardigan as I would've liked to have created a yellow and lilac ensemble, but instead I tried the pale peach / salmon cropped cardigan with it, and liked the results, especially with the lilac belt. It makes me think of ice cream colours and sherbet!

Here you can get an idea of the broderie anglaise pattern. For some reason, the yellow fabric didn't want to be captured, but it's as bold as in the outfit photos above.

So, as well as the lilac skinny belt from ASOS Curve, I also accessorised with a pastel toucan necklace, and two rings.

The toucan necklace compliments the dress perfectly. The beak and wings match the cardigan and dress! I adopted him  from Accessorize a few summers ago, as many moons earlier, I did a little work experience with toucans in a zoo!

I couldn't decide which ring to wear, so I wore both! That doesn't happen often, but  I like to make my own rules when it comes to my style.

The lilac macaroon ring is quite simply adorable! It's from a company called And Mary, which I bought through ASOS. Whoever designed the ring did a fantastic job of making it look realistic. It looks almost good enough to eat. The ring also comes in pastel pink, and they're currently on sale for £8 down from £15.

The mint flower ring is one which has been in my collection for several years. I don't know who it's by, but it's made of jade, and I purchased it in a local store a good five or six years ago. Some pieces remain in my collection for a very long time.

Outfit Details

Dress-F&F at Tesco // Cardigan-New Look // Belt-ASOS Curve // Necklace-Accessorize // 
Macaroon Ring- And Mary via ASOS // Flower Ring-Local Store

There aren't many sizes of the dress left online, but it's definitely worth looking out for next time you're in your local Tesco.

Wednesday Wish List

1. Peacocks Jumpsuit // 2. Yours Clothing Dress // 3. Dorothy Perkins Dress // 

4. New Look Inspire Harem Trousers // 5. ASOS Curve Dress // 6. ASOS Curve Dress // 7. Praslin Dress // 8. Modcloth Skirt // 9. Peacocks Skirt // 10. Dorothy Perkins Dress // 11. Simply Be Dress // 

12. Peacocks Skirt

I love summer fashion. No, scratch that; I adore it. Every brand and every store is filled with gloriously colourful garments and accessories in all the brightest, boldest colours of the rainbow, and everywhere you turn, there are fun and fabulous prints just begging to be worn. Fabrics are light and billowing, and everything is so easy to wear. The only problem is deciding which pieces to buy first!

So, naturally, for a colour junkie and print enthusiast like myself, summer time is probably my favourite season for fashion. All that colour makes me so happy! At the moment I'm finding that I'm spoilt for choice, and my wish list is getting longer every week. 

This week's wish list, as usual, is inspired by texture, patterns, and colour; some of the qualities I'm drawn to most when it comes to fashion. 

I'm still crushing hard for Lauren's eye-catching ice cream print dress from Simply Be (11), I'm so desperate to add it to my dress collection, so although it was on my last wish list, I had to include it again. I've fallen in love with two stunning lace ASOS Curve dresses (5 and 6) with floaty cape like sleeves, after seeing Nita looking so beautiful in hers last week; though I can't decide if I like the purple or grey best. I also love the heart print pinafore dress from Dorothy Perkins (3), which looks like a cute little sun dress, and the strawberry print Modcloth skirt (8) is so beautiful. Everything is so tempting right now!

I'm not able to make any purchases at the moment, but with my birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, hopefully I'll be able to buy a couple of pieces then.

What's on your wish list this week? Have any of you purchased Lauren's ice cream print dress yet?

Liebster Award

The lovely Char from Big Girl About Town recently nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award, and I've been meaning to put this post together in response ever since. It's the least I can do after being so kindly nominated. Thanks, Char! I'm very flattered!

So, the rules for the Liebster Award are:

1. Mention who nominated you for the award.

2. Each person nominated must list 11 different things about themselves.

3. Answer 11 questions that the previous tagger has left you.

4. Create your own 11 questions.

5. Tag up to 11 people.

11 Things About Myself

1. I've never been ID-ed for alcohol, clubs, or cinema tickets, but I've twice been ID-ed when buying scratch cards! At age twenty-six... I certainly didn't look fifteen at the time!

2. I adore The Hairy Bikers; especially the Geordie one. I think it's adorable how they get so excited by everything, and they seem so lovely and friendly. They have that 'favourite uncle' quality about them. I think they'd be really fun to know.

3. I'm considering getting an Alice in Wonderland inspired sleeve, or possibly just a tattoo or two of characters from the animated Disney film. It's one of those childhood favourites which has always stayed close to my heart.

4. I also want to tattoo myself with daisies and pansies, as I think they're pretty. My tattoo wishlist is about a mile long.

5. I'm addicted to Pinterest. It can keep me occupied for hours.

6. I've not had a hair cut in eighteen months. Believe me, it's not out of choice. I'm hating it.

7. Sometimes I feel so dislocated from the person I was just two years ago. I feel like I've both lost major parts of my identity, which are out of my control, but at the same time, I know I've coaxed lots of things out, too, and changed for the better.

8. I hate talking on the phone.

9.  I'm itching to learn how to make my own jewellery.

10. I haven't stopped playing Fall Out Boy's 'Save Rock and Roll' album since it came out in April.

11. I get teary watching movies, and TV shows. The worst culprits are Titanic, Schindler's List, The Green Mile, Marley and Me, and I Am Legend. They all make me bawl like a baby!

Char's Questions

1. Favourite smell (cut grass, flowers, the smell after rain etc)?

My favourite smell would have to be the smell of the sea; that sea-weed smell that rock pools usually have. If I could bottle up that scent I would! I'm also partial to the smell of freshly baked bread and cakes; freshly cut grass; and the smell tarmac has after a rain storm.

2. Best gift you've ever received?

The best gift I ever received was probably the time I won a meet and greet with Boyzone for myself and my best friend. My best friend and I had been big fans since 1994, but had never met them until that night in 2009. It also happened to fall on my best friend's 24th birthday, so not only were we able to fulfil a life long dream to meet them, and had so much fun, but I was able to give my best friend the best present and birthday ever- without spending a penny! It was a night to remember!

3. A photo of your most cherished possession?

I'm a sentimental soul, so I'd say my most cherished possessions are my memory box (filled with letters, ticket stubs, cards, and other mementos from the last seventeen years); and my photos. Oh, and my dress collection, too, of course!

4. Your favourite author?

This may sound like a cliche, but my favourite author is the great horror writer, Stephen King. The man has been penning fantastic horror novels for decades and he still knows how to write a unique, nail-biting, page-turner. Everyone needs to read a Stephen King at some time in their life! I think the best I've read so far are The Stand, Under the Dome, and Misery.

5. Best place to shop?

I personally love shopping at ASOS as they have the best plus size clothing range around, and a wide selection of fashion and beauty items to choose from. I like how they stock lots of big name brands as well as their own products; it makes them a one-stop-shop, and their free delivery service sets them ahead of all the other websites. On the high street I frequent Dorothy Perkins and Cath Kidston. 

6. A language you wish you spoke?

I would love to be able to speak Russian, Italian, French, German, and Gaelic, along with many others. I've only ever learnt a little GSCE French back in Secondary School, and I'm far from fluent in it. I wish I'd pursued languages further, and it's something I'm considering doing in the future.

7. A photo of your favourite outfit?

I have several favourite fail-safe outfits, but one which stands out to me is this one:

I love wearing my coral and turquoise flamingo print dress with that coral shrug and turquoise accessories.

I love all these pieces together, and it never fails to make me feel good when I'm wearing it. I think it's a very 'me' outfit, with such a loud pattern, and so much colour. It's the perfect summer ensemble! I think I last wore it for an OOTD last summer, but I'm sure it'll be making a reappearance on my blog soon.

8. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you visit?

Right now, I long to return to New York, and Perranporth Beach in Cornwall, as they're two of my favourite places in the world that bring back happy memories.

I haven't explored a lot of the world so far, but I'm dying to see Australia, Italy, Greece, Africa, and more of France, and I want to travel all over America. In all honesty, I'd like to explore almost every country before I die. I love to travel.

9. A fashion trend you dislike?

When it comes to fashion, there isn't a lot I tend to dislike, but I'm not a fan of the 'geek, nerd, dweeb' trend that's everywhere at the moment. I'm already sick of the sight of tops emblazoned with those words. The same goes for over sized 'geek' glasses. 

10. 3 things you couldn't live without?

I couldn't live without music, dresses, and my laptop!

11. A place you go to hide away from others?

I find it very difficult to hide from anybody these days, what with mobile phones and social networking making it easy to keep tabs on people, and my injuries preventing me from going anywhere alone. If I go up to my bedroom, I still get disturbed repeatedly. I used to go off shopping in to town on my own for some 'me' time for a few hours, and always found an hour or two in the bath with my iPod and a book a great way to switch off from the world. At the moment, I guess I hide away online when I need some time to myself.

My Questions

1. What's the best thing you've ever bought for yourself?

2. Do you shop mostly online, or mostly in store?

3. What's the best book you've read lately?

4. What's the one thing you'd do if you knew nobody would find out, and you wouldn't get in to trouble?

5. Polka dots, bird print, or stripes?

6. Have you got a favourite song and album?

7. What's the one thing in your wardrobe you couldn't live without?

8. Favourite Disney film?

9. Who are you top three favourite bands or singers?

10. What inspired you to start blogging?

11.When it comes to fashion and beauty, what's your biggest weakness? (What can't you resist buying? Shoes, dresses, nail polish? Etc.)

I Tag...

I may have nominated some of you before, but if I nominate you again, it's because I love your blog, and I'd love to read your answers!

Char of Big Girl About Town

Rachel of A Dress is For Life

Nita of Pashteit

Vicky of The Curved Opinion

Jenny of The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
Hannah of Doodleheartx

Becky of Does My Blog Make Me Look Fat?

Gemma of Hidden Gem

Leah of Just Me, Leah

Linz of Linzerello Does Fatshion

Trees of Adventures of a Girl From Naki

Lisa of My Big Fat Blog

And I also tag everybody else reading this who would like to answer the questions and pass the award on!

Make Up Monday: Dainty Doll Eyeshadows Review

I'm no Girls Aloud fan, but ever since Nicola Roberts launched her own make up range for pale skinned folk a few years ago, I've been eager to try some of it out. However, due to the luxury price tags, I never got around to trying any of it.

So, when I heard Dainty Doll make up was available on discounted beauty site Fragrance Direct from just 99p, it didn't take me long to cease the opportunity to snap up a few products for myself.

Today I'm going to review the five eyeshadows I purchased, and show you a couple of make up looks I created using them.

I purchased three eyeshadows from Fragrance Direct.

And later picked up a further two colours via Amazon.

So, before I reveal all, I'm sure you'd like to know what the deal is with Dainty Doll:

"Dainty Doll is developed especially to enhance the beauty of fairer skin tones. Created using the finest quality, skin loving formulas to help cover, perfect, and care for your skin, The Dainty Doll range makes it much easier for those with pale skin tones to achieve the ideal shade every time."

 -Daintydoll.com

As a girl with extremely fair skin, this brand has always appealed to me as finding make up to flatter my skin tone can be tricky. I expected the range to focus on foundations, powders and concealers for the porcelain skinned; what I didn't know was that they also sell the most amazing vibrant eye shadows...

L-R: Copacabana, Jungle, Purple Hills, Lollipops and Roses, Kingston Town

Colour! Oh so much wonderful colour! If there's one thing I love almost as much as dresses it's colourful eye make up. It's such a big part of my style and something I feel sets me apart from a lot of people.

When I opened the three I initially ordered with Fragrance Direct, I honestly could not have been happier. I may have squealed a little bit in excitement at all that colour. I originally purchased Copacabana, Lollipops and Roses, and Kingston Town, and was so impressed with them I then went on to source Jungle and Purple Hills through Amazon. 

 The eyeshadows are displayed in round, slim-line matte black pots, with a mirror inside, and the brand simply printed in gold lettering on the outside. I think the packaging looks sleek and expensive. The outer packaging also has a professional appearance in matte black, with a long-legged fair-skinned red head, and the Dainty Doll logo on the cardboard.

I've given all of these eyeshadows numerous days of wear, and each time the make up lasted for at least eight hours without fading! The shadows are all so highly pigmented, and they remained bold throughout the day without the use of a primer. I'm so impressed with each of them! It's not often that I come across eye make up so hard-wearing. They're also incredibly soft in texture, and very little is required to create an even, vibrant cover because they're so pigmented.

My thoughts on each shadow and how I've been wearing each, starting with my least favourite.

#5 Copacabana: Probably my least favourite of the five, and the hardest colour to wear (I'm still tentative with wearing most blues as I worry I'll look like I've wandered out of the eighties), but it's still a great bold eyeshadow. It's a deep sky blue and looks great with Jungle. I've been using it as an eyeliner, rather than all over the lid to make it easier to wear.

#4 Purple Hills: The name of this eyeshadow has me thinking of the censored version of the Eminem and D12 song with the same title. But unlike the song, there's no reason for me to censor these words. Purple Hills is a gorgeous, deep violet purple, which looks fantastic when worn on it's own or with pink, yellow, green, and blue. The possibilities are endless!

#3 Kingston Town: This eyeshadow screams summer. It's a lovely sunny yellow, and it's so versatile. It works well with all of the other colours I purchased, but especially pink and purple. When blended with the pink it makes a lovely shimmering coral. I love this eye shadow!

#1 Jungle: This is my favourite of the five, tied with Lollipops and Roses. Jungle is a vibrant highly pigmented jade green, and I love the way it brings out the brown of my eyes. Green eye make up is my favourite to wear, and I wasn't disappointed with this one.

#1 Lollipops and Roses: This hot pink eyeshadow is not for the faint hearted or colour shy, but it looks amazing on pale skin, and sure makes a statement! It's much easier to wear than you'd think, though, and it makes a pretty, tropical look. I can't stop wearing it. I've mostly been pairing it with the yellow and purple.

Now for the swatches...

These are the swatches in natural light without a flash. I've not enhanced or altered the photo in any way, apart from white-washing the rest of the photo out.

And a few photos of me wearing these eye shadows...

In these two photos I am wearing Kingston Town and Lollipops and Roses blended together, with a purple Lush eye liner lining the top and bottom lids.

Here I am wearing Kingston Town, and Lollipops and Roses again, but this time with Purple hills as an eyeliner.

And this was a simple look with Jungle all over the lids, and Purple Hills very faintly lining both the top and bottom lids.

So, all in all, I'm completely in love with all of these eyeshadows, and I'm truly pleased and impressed with them. They're perfect for pale skin like my own, but I also think they'd look fantastic on darker skin tones, too. If you love bold eye make up, then I recommend that you check these out and give them a try! You won't regret it!

The RRP for these eye shadows is £11.50, which is a little pricey for one eyeshadow (although I'd happily pay it), but I spent less than £3 on each one, and about £12 in total which was an absolute bargain!  You can find them on Fragrance Direct and Amazon from just £1.99 at the moment!

Have you tried any Dainty Doll eyeshadows yet?

What is your favourite colour combination to wear on your eyes?